IN AUTUMN we took part in the Water Blitz – this is where people can sign up both in the spring and autumn and are sent a small water testing kit to check water quality near them.
We tested water from Battlefield Brook – just where the public footpath across playing field goes over the bridge.
High levels of phosphates and nitrates were recorded and a sample was also sent to Imperial College in London.
With it being the time of year farmers spread muck and other fertilisers and the amount of rain we experienced, the high levels were slightly expected due to run-off from fields the brook passed through. The phone call from Imperial College some weeks later however was not.
They informed me there was also very high levels of insecticides in the separate sample I had sent which I had not expected. This was indicative of flea treatment used on dogs which is washed off when dogs are let off leads to play in the brook.
Further research showed this is causing major problems in rivers across the country – a Google search highlights these.
The insecticides used to kill not only fleas on dogs but also aquatic organisms which in turn feed fish and is consumed by wildlife.
It also applies to dogs regularly bathed at home or at groomers where the water running off their coats runs into the sewage system. A system which regularly discharges into rivers to add to the problem – the River Wye has also highlighted this.
Each time a dog enters the water or even walks in the rain without a coat, it reduces the efficacy of the treatment owners are expecting to last for six to eight weeks.
Depending how often the dog goes in the brook, this is reduced dramatically.
And the dog will leave a trail across grass/field where water is shook off or just drips off so, in turn, that area is additionally being treated with insecticide that will also kill microbes and organisms in the soil indiscriminately.
We have learned over the last couple of weeks there is a tablet form vets can prescribe rather than the ‘spot on’ variety which goes into the animal’s blood stream.
We all know picking dog poo up when out is a must, then perhaps we can help nature and the environment more by switching to a more environmentally safe flea treatment for our pets as well.
Column by Edwina Evans,
Chair. Bromsgrove Climate Action
